The Mariner's Mirror SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING the LE TESTU SHIPS

This article was downloaded by: [ECU Libraries] On: 23 April 2015, At: 15:44 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK The Mariner's Mirror Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rmir20 SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING THE LE TESTU SHIPS R. Morton Nance & L. G. Carr Laughton Published online: 22 Mar 2013. To cite this article: R. Morton Nance & L. G. Carr Laughton (1912) SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING THE LE TESTU SHIPS, The Mariner's Mirror, 2:3, 76-78, DOI: 10.1080/00253359.1912.10654580 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00253359.1912.10654580 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. 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Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions Downloaded by [ECU Libraries] at 15:44 23 April 2015 SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING THE LE TESTU SHIPS. Bv R. MoRTON NANCE1 AND L. G. CARR LAUGHTON. THE gallery .of drawings of ships which Dr. Sottas has brought to the notice of the Society contains so much of interest as to justify a few additional and particular notes. Many of the drawings speak for themselves, and need no comment beyond what Dr. Sottas himself has written. Others, however, suggest comparison and remark, owing to peculiarities which they exhibit whether in point of shipbuilding or of seamanship. SEAMANSHIP. There is a good deal to be learnt from these drawings con cerning the seamanship of the middle of the 16th century. The simplest plan seems to be to take the drawings in order, and to call attention to their special features. Fig. 8 and Fig. 12 are of value as showing ships close-hauled, or nearly so, without their mizzens set. In Fig. 12 it will be seen that the spritsail is set on a wind, contrary to the established belief that this sail could only be used when going free. The ship in question has a very long beak-head, and carries her spritsail tack at the extreme end of it, the foretack being only about half way out, as also in other ships represented. The picture, therefore, shows that the long beak head was of more use than merely to serve as a convenient place in which to stow the sprit-sail when furled {Figs. 8 and 17.) Figs. 6, 13 and 15.-The frequency with which the topsail sheets are represented as flown shows that r6th century seamen Downloaded by [ECU Libraries] at 15:44 23 April 2015 thought a sail was doing its work better when it was bellying well out. This is perhaps the commonest feature in all ship pictures of that century. Fig. I is representative of a considerable number, and shows that topsails were still regarded more or less as fine weather sails. Here we have a ship running before a strong wind under courses and bonnets. To us it will seem curious that the mizzen should be set, and the spritsail not. Fig. 3 is most interesting, for, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first evidence which has been found showing that at 1 The drawings are by Mr. Morton Nance, being copies of Dr.~Sottas's tracings from Le Testu's originals. SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING THE LE TESTU SHIPS. 77 that date a ship sometimes lay to in a gale of wind under one goosewing of the main course. Fig. 4 seemingly, is also new evidence, but less remarkable; for to set the goosewings of the forecourse when scudding seems so natural a thing to do that it is rational to infer that it was done very often. It is satisfactory, however, to find it actually represented. SHIPBUILDING AND RIGGING. Fig. s.-It might, perhaps, be suggested that this may be an attempt to realise an Oriental junk from a slight description; but, on the other hand, it is equally possible that she represents a real European type akin to the flyboat or flute. Fig. 6.-When compared with Bruegel's fliite of similar date shows wide differences. Perhaps she was another local survival of the medireval round stern, possibly even an old ship with her cage-work rebuilt. · Fig. 7.-Interesting as showing well the gallery, and arrange ment of side-ports similar to that in Fig. 3· Fig. 8.-The galleon type, differing but little from the usual build of fifty years later, and contrasting strongly with- Fig. g.-A merchant ship with projecting forecastle, follow ing the medireval tradition. In Fig. 8 braces and bowlines are well shown and the martnetts in Fig. g. Fig. ro.-Bow view, suggestive of a painting by Carpaccio, circa rsoo. Both perhaps represent Genoese carracks, the flag here being Genoese. Fig. H.-Showing a double beakjhead or rather a galley fashion beak below the projecting forecastle. Fiirtenbach (r629) in a print, taken from a model of c. I5JO, shows a similar bow arrangement in what he calls a" carramuzzal." Here also Downloaded by [ECU Libraries] at 15:44 23 April 2015 the clench work at the channels is the same ; the ports are some what similarly arranged, and a gallery is carried, but Fiirten bach does not show the curved timbers that connect the upper rail of the gallery with the ship's side, in a style common about r6oo. This ship, like the "carramuzzal," seems to be Turkish by the different blazoning of the crescent flag to that worn by the French ships. 1 Fig. r3.-A very full-bowed ship with round ports. The small squareport near the hawse-hole may be for the cat-davit. Fig. I4·-A galley. Three of these are given by Le Testu, each slightly different, as noticed by Dr. Sottas. Fig. rs.-The only example in this collection of a ship with two mizzens. The beak head is of a type intermediate between 78 SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES CONCERNING THE LE TESTU SHIPS. those of Figs. 8 and g. A gun or entry-port is cut in the middle of the pavesade. Fig. 16.-The solitary specimen of a square-rigged coaster or fishing boat. Fig. 17.-Shows clench work all along the sides, not merely to strengthen the channels as in Figs. g, ro and II. "Clenchers," we know, were by this date considered weak and obsolete in England. Fig. rg.-A vessel with galley fashion beak-head like that below the forecastle in Fig. II. This type was mainly prevalent in Portugal, Spain and the Spanish Netherlands, and was prob ably that of the original gallemt. STYLE OF PAINTING. The colour of the hulls varies greatly, yellow, rose, blue, green and white being used in broad bands for the upperworks, the sides being usually brown or ochre yellow, with dark brown or black beneath the lowest wale. The wales are for the most part blue or yellow, the tops yellow with red below. But no two ships seem to be painted exactly alike. FLAGS. Few of the ships chosen for reproduction have flags of much interest, but other drawings in the atlas, which show no special peculiarity of hull or rig, show the flags of most of the chief European nations. It is worth calling attention to the ensign at the stern of the French ship represented in Fig. 8, for it has been believed that ensigns in this position were uncommon till much after this date. Two or three other ships in the Le Testu atlas also show poop ensigns, Spanish and Portuguese as well as Downloaded by [ECU Libraries] at 15:44 23 April 2015 French. There is no indication of a Jack in the whole collection, and the absence of pennants will probably be remarked. .

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